Daddy's Girl

Came across this picture of Lauren and her daddy from the Pumpkin Patch.  She is so lucky to have such an awesome dad that always had the time to do fun things with her!!!

I love it when they are together!!!

First Day of School

I don't know who had been waiting for this day longer...Lauren or Mommy and Daddy.  Lauren had been talking about going to school for over a year.  Mommy and Daddy had been wanting it for her for at least that long.  She was more than ready...physically and mentally.  There were no tears or fears - on either side.  We had to slow her down on the way in so we could get some pictures.  Then, she went in and sat down and started threading some beads like she had done this every day of her life.  She didn't even let a little snafu on the bus to get her home get her down...she was so excited.  I hope learning is like that every day for her!!!!

And it must have worn her out because she was asleep in under three minutes after I shut the light off. 

As always, I am so glad we are in this together...and that Lauren has an awesome Daddy who would drive all the way up here just to drop her off at school.  Luckiest girl ever!!!

On the Last Night of Three

On the last night of three, Lauren......went swimming with her cousin, Bubby.
...watched Curious George with her cousin, Ody.
...hung out with Hampa and Grammy.
...let Mommy comb her 'Punzel hair one last time.
...cuddled her Mommy Juju.
...asked her Mommy to lay in bed and watch "Annie" with her.

On the last night of three, Mommy sat down to think about the last year.  I remembered the things I wondered about on the last night of two, so I looked back at last year's blog to find...

…I wonder if she’ll be going pee pee on the potty full time. Yes, I know this will happen, but it seems like a long way off as we are in the potty training trenches.  I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THIS HAPPENED AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME THANKS TO HERMAN THE ELF.

…I wonder if she will know all the letters of the alphabet. She already knows m, d, c, j, r, g and l.  I AM ALSO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT SHE IS ALMOST THERE ON THIS ONE...AND IS WAY PAST SINGING THE ABC SONG.  ALTHOUGH THERE DOES HAPPEN TO BE A LOT OF B'S IN HER ALPHABET.

…I wonder if her counting pattern will change from, “one, two, tree, pive, beleven” I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THIS.  SHE IS A MASTER COUNTER.

…I wonder if she’ll still dip her hot dogs in ranch. My guess is yes.  THANKFULLY, NO SHE DOESN'T.

…I wonder if she’ll still tickle the phone when she is talking to her daddy.  THANKFULLY, SHE STILL DOES.

…I wonder if she’ll still call my dad “Hampa”.  NOPE - HE IS FULL ON GRANDPA NOW.   SHE EVEN CORRECTS ME WHEN I CALL HIM HAMPA.

…I wonder if we’ll still share a bowl of Lucky Charms on weekend mornings.  YES WE DO.

…I wonder if she will still want to take her Bunny Bunny with her where ever she goes.  THESE DAYS BUNNY IS LIMITED TO THE CONFINES OF OUR HOUSE WITH THE BIWEEKLY TRIP TO DADDY'S HOUSE.  HOWEVER, HE STILL ENDS UP IN THE STRANGEST PLACES WITH OUR HOUSE.

…I wonder if she will still want to watch Wow Wow Wubbsy every night before she goes to bed.  THANKFULLY WO WO HAS THANKFULLY BEEN REPLACED BY THE OCTONAUTS AND ANNIE!!!

…I wonder if she’ll ever pick up the toy room by herself.  WE ARE BOTH WORKING ON THIS ONE AS IT WAS ONE OF MY NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS.

…I wonder if she’ll ever add the word “with” to her sentences, although I love to hear “Mommy, I lay you?” when she comes in my room in the morning.  HER SPEECH IS AMAZING.  IN FACT, WHEN I RECENTLY FILLED OUT HER PRESCHOOL SURVEY, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS "IS YOUR CHILD'S SPEECH SIMILAR TO SAME AGED PEERS?"  I CHECKED "NO".  IN MY EXPLANATION I SAID, I BELIEVE HER SPEECH IS BEYOND THAT OF HER SAME AGED PEERS.

…I wonder when she will stop thinking she is being sneaky when she takes my pop can and drinks it “all gone” when it was already empty.  SHE NOW ASKS FOR HER OWN...WHICH SHE DOESN'T GET HARDLY EVER.

…I wonder when she will sleep later than me.  YESTERDAY, JUNE 18, 2012 - SHE DID.  I WOKE UP AT 8:22 AND SHE WOKE UP AT 8:42.  GOTTA LOVE SUMMER!!!

…I wonder if her hair will be long enough to donate to Locks of Love.  WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TOMORROW WITH CHRISTY TO LET SOME OTHER GIRL WHO DOESN'T HAVE HAIR HAVE LAUREN'S 'PUNZEL HAIR.

…I wonder if she can get any cuter.  YES, SHE CAN.

…I wonder if I can love her any more.  YES, I CAN.

I wonder a lot, but I know one thing...we have each other and we are in this together.  Stay tuned for the picture tomorrow!!!

A Late Christmas Surprise

While Lauren was at her dad's this week, I worked on an extended Christmas present for her.  All through the season, she asked for a kitchen.  I kept telling her that she had one at Daddy's and one at our house, so she didn't need one.  Then, one day I was organizing the closet in the toyroom and I got an idea...to turn the closet into her kitchen.  The planned was set in motion...

Step One of the Plan - get kitchen related presents - check.  I got her an apron set, a food set and an appliance set that included a stand mixer, a coffee maker and a blender.

Step Two of the Plan - transform the closet - check.  It started like this...

Step Three of the Plan - Style it up!!! (I may have watched one too many episodes of Project Runway today).  I had a little help from Stacy Brown and only had to make one trip to Spencer to get my desired results.

Step Four of the Plan - The Reveal

I do love my girl and am so glad to be in this together with her.

Merry Christmas = Tired Girl

Presents with Daddy yesterday morning.  Family at our house and church last evening.  Hanging out at the Siebrecht's where Mrs. Claus delivered the jammies.  Spending the night at Grammy and Hampa's.  Presents from Mommy.  Stocking.  Presents from Grammy and Hampa and the Siebrecht's.  Playing. Nap.  Back out to Grammy and Hampa's for extended family time.  Home to cuddle with Mommy.  No wonder we have a tired girl on our hands.  That is a lot for 36 hours.

Here are the Mrs. Claus jammies (and, yes, she's pretending to pick a boogie to irritate me)...

And here are two of Lauren and Grammy working on the tradition of cinnamon rolls...

There are many, many more pictures...but they are all the way across the room.  Tired Girl = Tired Mommy!!!!  I am so glad we are in this together.

Another Step Toward Bigdom

She had been talking about it for a few weeks.  Daily, she asked if she could wear her pretty girl dress that was hanging in her closet with the tapping shoes.  And who can leave out, "Do I getta go to school and sing today?"

Then, today, it was finally time.  Daddy brought her up and stayed for the event.  The tights went on.  The dress went on.  The shoes went on.  The hair was brushed.  Finally, off we went to the First Hour of Power Christmas Program.

We got to the church and Little Lauren marched herself down to the basement with all the other kids to get ready by getting her angel outfit on...leaving her mommy and daddy behind.  All we could do was go upstairs and sit and wait.  We watched the church fill up.  Then, the moment was upon us...

She marched her little self in, holding Maddie's hand, ringing and singing.  The second she saw mommy and daddy, however, it was done.  She wanted to be with us.  I finally got her up with the group and she sang a little bit.  Then the big kids started passing the microphone around to say their lines, to which Lauren responded, "I WANNA TALK."  Of course she did, she is mommy's girl after all.  Then she wanted to go in the tent with the Nativity Silhouette.  What can I say.  My girl knows what she wants and she's only three.  That's why we are in this together.

Happy Halloween

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween.  It was totally different with a three year old.  We did a little trick or treating and she was very outgoing and cute. Then had supper with family and friends. This is how new traditions start. Daddy even came up to go get candy with us.

And Mommy had to give the Monkey a ride home...

Another time full of fun and excitement...together.

I Miss My Mommy

I spent the weekend with my daddy, which was totally awesome.  We went to the zoo and the Children's Museum and went shopping at Target where I got a new Clifford stuffed animal.

Then I came home on Sunday and had a fun afternoon with mommy.  We hung out on the couch having 'hopcorn and watching Toy Story.  Then we went out to Mommy Juju's for supper and had hot fries.  I took a bath with Cody and got my jammies on.  Then, the silliest thing happened...my mommy left me at Juju's house.  She said she was going bye-bye for a couple of days.  I got to spend the night with Juju, Uncle Ry, the boys and Missy Missy.  Mommy Juju even took me to Josie's today...but not before taking my picture with Missy Missy.

And now I am at Grammy's taking my nap and being a good girl...my mommy hopes, anyway.  The weirdest thing I heard, though, is that Juju is picking me up at Grammy's tonight and I am spending the night again tonight and mommy won't be picking me up until tomorrow night just before bed time.  I miss her a lot...but not as much as she misses me.



It's October...

It has been quite a while since we have gotten a post in and boy, oh, boy have we been busy.  Busy doing what you may ask?  I ask myself that same question almost daily.  It never feels like we get anything done, but yet everything that needs done seems to be getting done.  We all know that the stuff like dishes, laundry and cleaning can wait til later when you have a three year old because here are the things we are busy doing instead:
                  1) Enjoying this wonderful weather...seems like payback from the hot summer, although we can do without the little black bugs that have shown up.
                  2) For two days we had a blast at the Clay County Fair!  One days was with Aunt Juju and Cody and the other was with our friends The Peats.
                  3) Lauren spending time with her daddy.
                  4) I have gotten the school year of to a successful start.  I think, anyways.  Can't believe it is almost the end of the 1st quarter already.
                  5) Lauren has totally adjusted to her new daycare and has been talking a lot about Lucas. Our new daycare goddess, Josie, has been awesome.
                  6) Have I mentioned we have been enjoying the weather?
                  7) Lauren has started her first non-daycare learning activity...she is attending First Hour of Power at our church and is totally LOVING it!
                  8) And.......drumroll, please.....I would like that announce that we are fully potty trained in the #1 department and are becoming very successful in the #2 department.  This has been a long time coming and it just goes to show that slow and steady wins the race.

Here are some things we have to look forward to during October:
                  1) Halloween, of course.  You can expect the world's cutest monkey at a doorstep near you.
                  2) #2...you knew it was coming.
                  3) Harvest.  Although Hampa's beans have already been combined, we are going to try to get a ride somewhere else.
                  4) Hopefully enjoying some more wonderful weather through this month.

Whether it is all that has happened or all that will happen, Lauren and I are truly blessed.  We have great friends.  We have wonderful family.  Most of all...we have each other.